Ok, so those of you who know me know that I pretty much hate vodka. Or at least I used to. Sure, I’m not likely to be seen drinking vodka anytime soon, I’m a whisky/gin/tequila guy. That said, vodka is the dominant distilled spirit in the US market and if nothing more than that, I should have some decent vodkas to recommend. Recently, two craft (real craft, not bullshit, we’re adding water, filtering it and selling it to you as artisan product vodkas) vodkas have really impressed me. Dry Fly’s vodka out of Washington state, is pretty damn amazing. As my boss at Urban Farmer said when I tasted it with her, “Of course you like this vodka Lance, it actually has flavor”. And thats the thing, it does have flavor. Wonderful flavor, the kind of flavor that should be in a vodka martini or even a vodka cranberry. Its smooth, elegant and everything that so many vodkas aren’t, which is tasty. I don’t keep vodka in my liquor cabinet (ok, I admit, I do keep some down in the basement for guests if they really won’t drink anything else), but Dry Fly vodka has changed that. Its now going to be the house vodka at Casa De Mayhew. Ask me for a vodka martini next time you are over and instead of me glaring at you and cursing you under my breath as I trudge unwillingly down to the basement, I’ll happily change your life by pulling the Dry Fly out of my liquor cabinet and showing you just how delicious a real vodka martini can be. If you live on the West Coast and don’t have a bottle of Dry Fly in the house, change that as soon as you can.
The other craft vodka thats rocking my world right now comes from the brilliant minds at Finger Lakes Distilling. The pride of New York, I don’t think Finger Lakes has ever made anything I haven’t fallen in love with (check About.com for my feelings about their whiskies). Their Vintners Vodka is made from 100% NY state grapes, giving it a wonderful character and mouthfeel. This is one sexy vodka, and I wish it was available here but if you are on the East Coast, grab some asap.
Dry Fly and Finger Lakes Vintners vodkas may be the craft distilling world’s Tupac and Biggie Smalls, both trailblazers in a market full of pretenders to the throne. Each is distinctive, exceptional and true to its roots. West Coast vs East Coast and yet if you have a bottle of both you are in for a damn entertaining evening.
Strangely enough, the other vodka that I’ve been having fun with has been Absolut Brooklyn. While I generally have to struggle to restrain the involuntary twitch I get when someone asks me which flavored vodkas I carry, I do appreciate the flavor profile of Absolut Brooklyn. Recently things have gone off the rails with products like bacon and smoked salmon flavored vodkas. Really? Does the world really need salmon flavored vodka? What am I going to do, give it to my cat? Do cats even drink vodka? But I digress. Absolut Brooklyn is an apple ginger flavored vodka. The apple is a pure, clean flavor and the ginger just adds a touch of background zing. What can I say? Its nice. Try it with some cloudy apple juice, a few dashes of Angostura bitters and a big slug of Absolut Brooklyn and you’ve got an easy, fun summertime sipper perfect for barbecues, block parties or just sitting on the stoop of your Brooklyn brownstone. Its pretty clear that Absolut is having fun with this one and the packaging is cool. They took the stern looking Swedish guy on the label and gave him a Spike Lee makeover. When I brought the bottle in and put it on the back bar, people kept asking me about it so its definitely eye catching.
So there you have it. I’m rescinding my hatred for vodka. I’ve seen the light, just don’t ask me to drink any bullshit vodka and we’ll all get along just fine. But if you offer me a Dry Fly or Finger Lakes martini, I’ll happily drain that bottle with a smile on my face. And if we meet at a barbecue, break out the Absolut Brooklyn and I’ll whip up some nice cocktails for us all.